Chicken and Dumplings

Yep, another stew/soup. I know you are quite possibly sick of these, but honestly guys, how easy is stew? One pot, delicious easy eating, what could be wrong? This is... not as simple as some other Chicken and dumpling recipes I've used, this is more along the lines of I guess you could say "gourmet" chicken and dumplings.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c flour
1 whole chicken cut into pieces, OR several bone in chicken thighs
Salt and Pepper
3 carrots finely diced
3 celery stalks finely diced
1 medium onion finely diced
1 tsp dried thyme
6-8 c chicken broth
1/2 c apple juice, or apple cider
1/2 c cream (optional)

Dumplings
1 c Bisquick
1/3 c milk
Paprika to sprinkle over top

In a large pot over medium low heat melt butter and oil. Add carrots, celery, and onion and saute until softened. Add in flour and mix well, cook for about two minutes. Add thyme, and pepper. Add chicken broth and apple juice. Stir well, no clumping wanted. Add chicken pieces, bring to boil. Boil 25 to 30 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through. Then pull it out, shred the chicken and remove all bones and nasty stuff. Add back into the pot. At this point your soup should be thickened nicely. Turn down the heat a bit you want a gentle simmer. Mix together your dumpling ingredients. Drop by spoonful in small amounts on top of the simmering liquid. Sprinkle with Paprika and cover. Let cook 5-10 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through.

Enjoy!


Veggies

Sauteed down

Everything else in the pot

Dumplings in.

Jambalaya

I love comfort food. And one pot meals. And anything that is quick to make. This dish is all three. It seems involved... but it's really not. This is basically just making a stew. Not a whole lot different than that. I love jambalaya for it's richness, it's a simple dish, with a whole punch of flavor.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
2 bell peppers, diced (I used green but I'll be red would be lovely too)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 oz sausage andouille prefered, I used Hot Italian
1 c uncooked, long grain rice
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 bay leaf
2 c chicken broth (one box o' stock)
3/4 c water
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, juices too
1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

In a large pot saute sausage until almost done. Add in onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute about 5 minutes over medium heat, until veg is softened. Add rice and the next 7 ingredients (through bay leaf), cook about two minutes. Add tomato paste and warm through, get it a nice brownish color. Then add your chicken broth, water, hot sauce, and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Stir a few times, to make sure your rice isn't sticking too much. Add shrimp and cook about 5 minutes until they're nice and pink. Let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.


The line-up.

Browning the sausage.

Get the veg in the pot.

Saute about 5 minutes until nice and soft.

Add the rice.

And the spices.

Saute about two minutes.

Add the tomato paste. Get it nice and warm.

Then in goes all the liquid.

Insert pictures with shrimp here... apparently none of mine turned out.




Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!

Do you have a favorite one pot dinner?

Beef Stew

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
2 Tbsp butter
2-3 lbs beef chuck roast cut into chunks, OR pre-cut stew meat
1 box beef stock
3-5 potatoes diced, I used Yukon Gold
4-5 medium-large carrots, diced
2 c sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 large onion, diced
pinch dried thyme
pinch dried marjoram
Salt and Pepper
Dash of Worcestershire
2 bay leaves
1-2 Tbsp cornstarch


Assemble the troops.

Prep your veg.

Over medium heat melt your butter and olive oil.

Season your meat, salt and pepper. We're starting the flavor build here. Sear your beef. Caramelize all sides of your cubes. You're locking in flavor, make sure you don't omit this step. You do not need to cook the meat all the way through at this point. Caramelize and keep it medium rare or so. Don't move the meat around once you get it in. Let it bond to the pot, that's what creates the beautiful brown color. :) Leave it until you turn it. Make sure you leave all the stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan... that's important.
Yummmmmmmm
Add your onions, and garlic to the pot. Saute gently until the onions are turning translucent.

Add in your beef stock, gently scrape the bottom of your pot to release the wonderful browned bits of flavor. Then add in the rest of your ingredients excluding mushrooms and cornstarch. Potatoes, carrots, thyme, marjoram, bay leaves, & Worcestershire.Simmer about an hour and a half, stirring occasionally.


Pull about a cup of your liquid out of the pot and add in your cornstarch. Mix very well, you don't want any lumps! Then add back into your stew to thicken it.

Add in your mushrooms, and bring to a boil.Remove your bay leaves, and enjoy!